What's on the ASVAB: All 10 Subtests, and Which Ones You Can Practise Here
The ASVAB is ten separate subtests, and only four of them decide whether you can enlist. This page sorts out which is which, then says plainly which ones we can help with and which we cannot.
Ten subtests, four that decide eligibility
The ASVAB is not one test. It is a battery of ten short subtests, each measuring something different, and your results are reported as several scores rather than one. That structure matters for preparation, because the subtests are not equally important to you.
Four of them — Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Word Knowledge — are combined into the AFQT score, and the AFQT is what determines whether you are eligible to enlist at all. The other six feed composite scores that decide which jobs you qualify for once you are in.
The AFQT is reported as a percentile against a nationally representative sample of 18 to 23 year olds, so an AFQT of 90 means you scored as well as or better than 90 percent of that reference group. The Department of Defense does publish how it is built: the AFQT is computed as 2(VE) + AR + MK, where VE is a verbal score derived as a weighted composite of your Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension standard scores. Note what that weighting means for preparation — the verbal half is counted twice.
All ten subtests
| Code | Subtest | What it measures | AFQT | Qs / min | Practise here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS | General Science | Knowledge of physical and biological sciences | — | 15 / 12 | Not covered here |
| AR | Arithmetic Reasoning | Ability to solve arithmetic word problems | ✓ | 15 / 55 | Partly — our numerical paper drills the same word-problem setup skill |
| WK | Word Knowledge | Ability to select the correct meaning of words in context and identify the best synonym | ✓ | 15 / 9 | Not covered here |
| PC | Paragraph Comprehension | Ability to obtain information from written passages | ✓ | 10 / 27 | Related — our verbal paper tests what a passage does and does not support |
| MK | Math Knowledge | Knowledge of high school mathematics principles | ✓ | 15 / 31 | Not covered — this is algebra and geometry, not applied arithmetic |
| EI | Electronics Information | Knowledge of electricity and electronics | — | 15 / 10 | Not covered here |
| AI | Auto Information·CAT | Knowledge of automobile technology | — | 10 / 7 | Not covered here |
| SI | Shop Information·CAT | Knowledge of tools and shop terminology and practices | — | 10 / 6 | Not covered here |
| MC | Mechanical Comprehension | Knowledge of mechanical and physical principles | — | 15 / 22 | Closest match — our mechanical paper is gears, pulleys, levers, ramps and hydraulics |
| AO | Assembling Objects·CAT | Ability to determine how an object will look when its parts are put together | — | 15 / 18 | Closest match — our spatial paper covers rotation, mirroring and folding |
Question counts and time limits are for the computer-adaptive test, excluding unscored tryout questions. Auto Information, Shop Information and Assembling Objects appear on the computer-adaptive version of the test. On the paper version, Auto and Shop are combined into a single Auto & Shop Information subtest.
What we can actually help with
Two subtests line up closely with papers already on this site, and two more overlap partly. We would rather say that precisely than claim full coverage.
AR · Arithmetic ReasoningAFQT
Partly — our numerical paper drills the same word-problem setup skill
PC · Paragraph ComprehensionAFQT
Related — our verbal paper tests what a passage does and does not support
MC · Mechanical Comprehension
Closest match — our mechanical paper is gears, pulleys, levers, ramps and hydraulics
AO · Assembling Objects
Closest match — our spatial paper covers rotation, mirroring and folding
What we do not cover
Word Knowledge, Mathematics Knowledge, General Science, Electronics Information, Auto Information and Shop Information are not covered here, and two of those — Word Knowledge and Mathematics Knowledge — count toward your AFQT. That is a real gap if the AFQT is your concern.
For those, start with the official free resources rather than paid prep. The Department of Defense publishes study material and a practice test at officialasvab.com. Official material has an advantage no third-party prep can match: it is written by the people who write the real thing.
Two things a recruiter can issue an access code for are worth knowing apart, because they are often confused. The AFQT Predictor Test is short — 20 items, 20 to 30 minutes — and only estimates what your AFQT might be; your recruiter is the only person who sees the score. The PiCAT is the full-length ASVAB taken unproctored at home, and it is not practice: if your PiCAT is followed by a successful proctored verification test at a MEPS or MET site, those scores become your ASVAB score of record. Do not sit the PiCAT to find out where you stand.
Start with the closest match
Mechanical Comprehension is where our material lines up best with the real subtest — 20 questions in 15 minutes, every answer worked through with the physical rule behind it.
Sit the mechanical reasoning paperASVAB — FAQ
How many subtests does the ASVAB have?
Ten on the computer-adaptive version: General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, Auto Information, Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension and Assembling Objects. On the paper version, Auto and Shop Information are combined into one subtest and Assembling Objects is not included.
Which subtests make up the AFQT?
Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Word Knowledge. The AFQT determines enlistment eligibility; the remaining subtests feed the composite scores that determine which military occupations you qualify for.
What does an AFQT percentile mean?
It compares you to a nationally representative sample of 18 to 23 year olds. An AFQT of 90 means you scored as well as or better than 90 percent of that group. It is not a percentage of questions answered correctly. The underlying score is computed as 2(VE) + AR + MK, with VE a weighted composite of Word Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension, and that raw composite is then converted to the percentile.
Is the mechanical reasoning paper here the same as ASVAB Mechanical Comprehension?
Not identical, but it is the closest match on this site. The ASVAB subtest measures knowledge of mechanical and physical principles; our paper covers gears, pulleys, levers, ramps and hydraulics, which is the same material. Our questions are original and are not drawn from any ASVAB form.
Is PurrLearn affiliated with the ASVAB or the military?
No. ASVAB is a programme of the United States Department of Defense. This page describes the test structure from official published information and points to our own original practice papers where they overlap. For official material, go to officialasvab.com.
Subtest names and definitions, the AFQT composition and the per-subtest question counts and time limits were all verified against officialasvab.com in September 2026, including the CAT-ASVAB subtest table and ASVAB Technical Bulletin No. 2. Earlier versions of this page said the AFQT formula was unpublished; that was our own failure to find it, and it has been corrected.